The dance between mindfulness and introspection

• How mindfulness and introspective awareness function related to ethical conduct, concentration and wisdom
• Role of introspective awareness for the fifth, sixth and seventh stages of nine stages of sustained attention
• Dependence between mindfulness and introspective awareness
• Counteracting afflictions by applying mindfulness and introspective awareness
• Benefits of cultivating mindfulness and introspective awareness
• Difference between conceptual and sensory consciousness

96 The Dance Between Mindfulness and Introspection (download)

Contemplation points

1. Consider the higher trainings in ethics, concentration, and wisdom. What is the role of mindfulness and introspective alertness for each?
2. When referring specifically to the training in serenity, how does introspective awareness help us in taming, pacifying, and calming the mind?
3. How do mindfulness and introspective work together in your daily life? Make examples from your own experience.
4. “Taking intoxicants impedes the cultivation of mindfulness and introspective awareness, which in turn leads to accruing all sorts of negativies.” Consider this point from the text. Beyond what we normally view as intoxicants (alcohol, recreational drugs, etc), what are other modern day “intoxicants” that you find you get involved in that impede your cultivation of mindfulness and introspective awareness, and lead to negativity?
5. What are some of the benefits of cultivating mindfulness and introspective awareness? How do they help us work with afflictions in our mind so that we act with an awareness of karma?
6. Why is it important to be able to differentiate between conceptual and sensory consciousnesses? Make some examples of these from your own experience.